PACKATHON: Frequently Asked Questions
Who is organizing this Packathon?
Future Forward for Haiti is a registered non-profit, EIN 47-3957693. We work to help children and families in the remote mountain villages of Haiti. We listen to local leaders there and work to support their efforts in schooling, including teacher salaries and school lunches. We’ve financed school construction and related small buildings. We also support small micro loan funds for adults to start very small businesses. Future Forward for Haiti accomplishes all its work by volunteers working to send the maximum possible aid to help Haitians.
How much does it cost to volunteer?
Nothing! We don’t want to exclude anyone by charging admission. But please be sure to pre-register for a specific session so we can make sure to have room for you.
Can I register my whole family?
Yes, our new registration forms make it much easier than last year. You can be a “team” or join another team—or not!
Can I register a group of friends, colleagues or some other organization?
Yes. In fact, our packathon will be a fantastic team-building experience for your group. Your team might also consider fundraising to defray some or all the cost of food your group will pack—$86 per person.
What happens at a packathon?
Volunteers start by learning a bit about the village where our meals will provide for the school children every weekday through 2023.
Next, everyone is trained to do a variety of jobs. Most will team up on assembly lines.
Some will sit at tables to put labels on the bags to be filled.
And some can work on our warehouse crew carrying ingredients to assembly lines and carrying away finished boxes of meals. We have work for everyone!
Result: each two hour session produces about approximately 25,000 meals.
Can I sit down to work?
Yes, we need people to put labels on thousands of bags, so if you worry about standing for 90 minutes, we still have a job for you!
What about my children? Can I bring them?
Yes! You may carry an infant in a sling or pack. Your 5-7 year old would work with you at a single task. We love the energy children bring to the task of helping other children. Unfortunately, we cannot provide childcare or supervision for preschoolers.
What will I be doing at the packathon?
Most volunteers work assembly lines. If you are unable to do so, we need you to affix labels on bags. If you want to do the heavy lifting, we need you for our warehouse crew. No matter your ability, we need you!
What goes into the meals?
Rice, beans, dehydrated vegetables, and vitamin powder. They are completely vegetarian and have a long shelf life. No promises, but we may cook some up for you to taste after our event!
What about insecurity in Haiti?
Gangs are taking over some areas of the capitol city, Port Au Prince, and it surrounding suburbs. The schools Future Forward for Haiti supports are way out in the mountains though. School continues to meet as usual. Our contacts in Haiti know where trouble is and wait for a general gang truce to deliver packathon meals to the mountains in a timely manner. We have never lost any food due to the unrest, though it is sometimes held up.
But what about food costs?
Our financial goal is set to cover all the tons of food we will pack—including shipping. We keep our event costs down by keeping our event “Swag-Free.” Our planning team all contribute. Our venue is provided free of charge. Area businesses and churches donate, and we need you to donate, if you can. On the average, every volunteer will pack $80 worth of food, enough to feed one Haitian child for a year! This is a great deal!
Where do you buy the food?
It is sourced by our partners at Feed the Hunger who come to organize our packing efforts. Feed the Hunger is also a non-profit.
If I give, what will the money be used for?
Food and shipping. Some packathons are also raising money to provide textbooks.
What about masking and social distancing?
Future Forward for Haiti is running packathons in Montana, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. Of course, you are free to mask, even if it is not required. Because we are packing food, everyone must wear gloves and a hairnet—which we love!
Why Haiti? Why not Ukraine?
Obviously, Future Forward for Haiti has a passion for Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Many families there cannot afford to feed their families every day. We have been partnering with Haitians since 2008. But locally, we always pack for the same school. We are concerned about those children and don’t want to let them down, no matter what is happening in Haiti or the rest of the world! They need reliable nutrition for the whole course of their education, just like American kids do!
